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Marijuana Cultivation
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Marijuana Cultivation 2
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The information contained in this book is intended for use only in jurisdictions where the activities contained
therein are legal. No claim of the accuracy, safety, or the legality of following the instructions contained in this
book is made and it is not recommended to follow them. You are responsible for your own actions if you do so.
Nothing contained in this book should be construed to be legal or medical advice.
References
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Marijuana Cultivation/ Introduction 3
Marijuana Cultivation/Introduction
Purpose
This book is to provide instruction on the use and cultivation of marijuana, also known as
cannabis or hemp. In this book you will find all the information needed to go from seed to a
fully functioning garden.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this book is intended for use only in jurisdictions where the
activities contained therein are legal. No claim of the accuracy, safety, or the legality of
following the instructions contained in this book is made and it is not recommended to
follow them. You are responsible for your own actions if you do so. Nothing contained in
this book should be construed to be legal or medical advice.
Copyright
Copyright (C) 2009 Agent Green. E-Mail - shaitand@gmail.com
This text is licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License as used by
the Wikibooks project. It has been donated for free and collaborative use for the benefit of
all those who need, want, or enjoy this plant that is capable of industrial utility, medical
potency, recreational happiness, and even supplying the complete nutritional needs of the
hungry.
Any part of this may be modified according to the terms of the aforementioned license but
this section must remain intact.
How to Use
This book is not designed to read straight through. Information is organized by topic,
although you can certainly read everything through you can also jump right to the topic you
are interested in.
Table of Contents
1. Fundamentals
2. → Seedlings
3. → Vegetative Growth
4. → Cloning
5. → Sexing
6. → Flowering
7. → Harvesting
8. → Curing
9. → Producing Seeds
10. → Pests and Pest Control
11. → Common Plant Problems
4
Fundementals
Marijuana Cultivation/
Fundamentals/Of Myths and Magic
Of Myths and Magic
There is certainly as much myth and folklore spreading around about marijuana usage and
cultivation as anything else. This book attempts to slash through those myths to actual
proven and utilized techniques that have been put into practice. It is highly recommended
that you consider the tested information in this book as a primary source of information and
doubt conflicting third party information until it is proven to you.
Some common myths that are seen include the use of menstrual blood for flowering. The
claim that baking soda and vinegar will kill plants if used to adjust PH. Some people claim
that absolutely any light level whatsoever will destroy crops and others claim that a couple
hours of light in the middle of the dark cycle will improve the size of flowers. If you want to
know the truth about these claims just dive on in ahead. Everything you need to grow high
quality, potent, and high yielding marijuana plants is contained in these pages.
Fundamentals/Parts of the Plant
Parts of the Plant
This section is added for the curious who don't know much about marijuana and how it is
used. The entire plant contains the psychoactive ingredients which include Delta-9 THC and
many cannabinoids that give each plant its own unique profile of properties and effects.
However, not all parts contain them in the same concentrations.
Flowers
The flowers or Buds of the plant contain the highest concentrations of plant resin which in
turn contains the highest concentration of active ingredients. The unpollinated flowers of
the female plants are the part of the plant that is used by recreational users because they
produce copius amounts of potent plant resin in order to try to catch pollen. Marijuana is
one of the few plants today that actually is split by gender and has distinct separate male
and female plants. Female plants do not pollinate themselves in the absence of males but do
contain the genetic capability to produce male flowers and may do so under stress. There
are also hermaphrodite plants that produce both male and female flowers. Male plants and
male flowers are not very potent and are not used recreationally
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Parts of the Plant 5
Leaves
Leaves are generally not used recreationally and will generally give you a headache rather
than get you high. There are however ways to extract the active ingredients from leaves
and the different types of leaves have different potencies.
Large Shade Leaves

These are the large classically shaped leaves on the plant and are the least potent. There
are extraction methods that can be performed to get something useful out of these but the
result won't be very pure and many growers just throw them away.
Grow Tips
These clusters of small tender leaves are the point on the plant where new growth sprouts
from during vegetation. They are more potent than Shade leaves but less potent than trim
leaves or bud.
Trim Leaves
These are the sugar coated leaves that are trimmed from around the buds during harvest.
The sugar coating of trichomes can make these quite potent and they can be as potent as
low quality flowers with seeds.
Stems
The stems are not really useful for psychoactive purposes but they are a great source of
plant fiber for rope, paper, etc.
Seeds
The seeds generally contain only trace amounts of psychoactive ingredients but they are
one of the most nutritious foods currently known to man. They are one of only a handful of
substances that man can sustain off indefinitely with no other food and provide all known
amino acids.
Trichomes
Trichomes are the oil glands of the plant and contain the highest concentration of active
ingredients of any part of the plant. The flowers are sought out because they contain the
highest concentration of trichome and hash is made from collected and pressed trichomes.
These are very useful for determining the maturity of a plant during the flowering stage.
Roots
The purpose of the roots is served when the plant is harvested. They have no useful
psychoactive ingredients and aren't typically eaten.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Inside vs Outside 6
Fundamentals/Inside vs Outside
Inside vs Outside
This is probably the single biggest divider of growers that there is. Do you grow outdoors
under the big bright sun or indoors in a room or closet? There are definitely pros and cons
to either method.
Outdoor
The benefits of an outdoor grow are obvious, you don't need to worry about ventilation or
light. The sun provides 2000 watts per square foot of bright light and that is certainly more
than any indoor grower is likely to have at his disposal any time soon. Make no mistake that
light difference is important! The air is fresh and plentiful and will deliver all the CO2 that
your plants will ever need. Organic nutrients can be found in the soil and if they can't in
your location you can always prep your soil. Finally the roots of your plants will be able to
spread far and wide. There are also downsides to be considered. You have no control over
light cycles and must grow on the natural annual harvest cycle, you have absolutely no
privacy and some areas require you to take privacy precautions in order to grow for
medical use. Outdoors you have open ventilation which means your plants could be
pollinated by wild pollen messing up your attempts to breed seed of a certain strain or
avoid seed. You are also mostly limited to soil grows outdoors unless you have a greenhouse
which is sort of a hybrid of indoor and outdoor growing.
Indoor
The benefits of an indoor grow are not necessarily immediately realized. It is obvious that
an indoor grow affords more privacy but the biggest benefit of an indoor grow is control.
You can control what type of light is provided, how often its provided and the hours. You
can control the temperature and humidity of your grow environment to make them optimal
for the plant. You can easily switch between hydroponic and organic growing. Indoors you
will have a smaller harvest (plants simply aren't going to grow as large without a light as
large as the sun) but you will be able to use lights to have plants in varied stages of growth
at all times so you can harvest more plants more often. Indoors you might be able to
harvest every two months in an established garden or even more often in a larger grow.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Dirt vs Hydroponic 7
Fundamentals/Dirt vs Hydroponic
Dirt vs Hydroponic
This selection is very fundamental to how you will grow from here on in. That said, it is
possible for a skilled grower to achieve similar results using either method. The myths
surrounding this choice are many. There are those who claim that hydroponic (or hydro)
bud has a bad, chemically, metallic taste or that soil grown marijuana isn't potent. Although
there is plenty of bad tasting hydro and weak soil grown marijuana these differences are
caused by poor practices elsewhere in the growing process and not whether soil or hydro is
used as the growing method. For instance, hydro growers are often commercial growers
who are trying to output as much marijuana in as short a time as possible. These growers
do not take the time to purge and cure their plants at the end of the flowering cycle and
after harvest. This causes the bad taste. It is entirely possible to make this same error with
a soil grow.
Dirt
Dirt carries a number of benefits and pitfalls. Dirt is easy to acquire and easy to maintain it
is literally all over the ground. Dirt allows you to mix your nutrients into the potting soil
rather than having to carefully mix up nutrient solution with each watering. Dirt retains
moisture for a period of days so if you go on vacation no special steps will be needed. For
those that don't science, if there are things a plant needs that science doesn't know about
then dirt will certainly have them. Dirt buffers the roots of a plant from nutrients and PH
fluctuations. This is both good and bad. When you add nutrients they are delivered slowly
and it may take longer before the effects of doing this become apparent. It is very easy to
over water in a soil grow. This is a common beginner mistake. You should always allow the
soil to dry completely to the touch before watering again. This is needed to allow oxygen to
get to the roots.
The ideal PH for soil grows is 6.5 and can be taken by measuring the runoff when you
water. The best way to maintain the PH on a soil grow is to maintain the PH of the water
you are using. This range allows the uptake of manganese. The utility of this nutrient in
plant growth is debated but what is not debated is that manganese is not available to the
plant at the ideal hydro PH.
If a PH or nutrient imbalance occurs in a soil grow it may be corrected by flushing with lots
of water, in a pot it should be at least three times the capacity of the pot. Outdoors in the
ground you should flush with water thoroughly with a hose or bucket.
Hydroponic
Hydroponic systems range from very simple to very complex. Essentially the only thing that
differentiates a hydro system from a dirt grow is that in a hydroponic system a solution of
nutrients and water delivers all nutrients to the plant and the physical medium that the
plant grows in is inert with no nutrient content. The advantage of hydroponic methods is
that they provide more rapid nutrient availability to the plant. This allows the plant to drink
as much nutrient as it likes and produces larger plants in a shorter period of time and
smaller space. Popular methods include:
Ebb and Flow

An ebb and flow system uses a timer to activate a pump that periodically floods the plants
grow medium with nutrient solution and then drains the solution out.
Often these system are designed using two plastic tubs, one sitting in another. The bottom
tub contains the nutrient solution reservoir, the water pump, and an air stone (more oxygen
means healthier roots) and the top tub or tray contains the plants. A single hole in the top
tub allows the pump tubing into the tub, when the pump shuts off or in the event of a pump
failure the water drains right back down the hole it came out of. It is usually best to put
another hole where it will drain down to the bottom tub at the highest level you want the
water to reach. This prevents flooding. A system like this can run at different intervals
depending on the grow medium you use but a common choice is 15min on and off cycles, or
30 minute on and off cycles.
Be very careful with a system like this. If a pump failure is not detected plants can die in a
very short time period.
PH and Nutrient problems can be corrected in the reservoir with the need to fiddle with the
plants themselves.
Deep Water Culture

Deep water culture is a very popular technique where one bucket is fit into another. In the
bottom bucket is placed an airstone (limewood or porous stone) and in the top bucket holes
will be drilled to allow nutrient solution to flood the bucket to a certain level. The airstone
provides oxygen to prevent the roots from rotting even though they are submerged. This is
a very simple system to build but requires a pot for each plant.
Correcting PH and nutrient problems is a matter of changing the solution and rinsing the
plant medium with clean water.
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

Nutrient film technique involves plants potted so their roots dangle down into a thin film of
constantly running nutrient solution. This technique can work well for large scale
hydroponic growing operations but if the nutrient film is interrupted it can be devastating.
A separate reservoir is maintained in this technique and it is not commonly used in
practice.
Aeroponic
Aeroponics is a relatively new technique. Like in NFT plants are suspended over the
nutrient but instead of a film of moving nutrient there are instead air stones spread under
the roots in the nutrient that highly oxygenate it and produce bubbles. The bubbles burst
and splash the roots with nutrient that is as oxygenated as possible. This can stimulate very
impressive root growth. In practice aeroponics aren't considered especially effective for
large plant growth though there is no theoretical reason they could not be. This type of
system is very often used for maintaining small clones.
Wick/Hempy Bucket
Wick systems and Hempy buckets are very similar. In a wick system a pot with medium has
a wick placed down it that extends down into a reservoir and draws up nutrients via
capillary action as they are needed or water evaporates. This is much like the way a lantern
or wick lighter works, drawing flammable fluid up the wick to be burned until it is
exhausted.
The hempy bucket is named after the forum poster who claims to have developed it
although the concept may date back further. A simple 2.5 to 5 gallon bucket has a 3/4 inch
hole drilled about 2-2.5 inches above the bottom. Depending on the medium and size of the
medium used it may not be needed but it is common to glue a piece of plastic screening
over the hole on the inside of the bucket. This bucket is then filled with a mixture of perlite
and vermiculite (popular mixes are 3 parts perlite to 1 part vermiculite and 1 part
vermiculite to 1 part perlite).
The bucket is then watered with full strength nutrient solution every 3-4 days, you water
until nutrient comes out the hole in the bottom. This flushes out any built up nutrient salts
with every watering assuring that you have a perfect balance.
A hempy is as simple as hydroponics gets and is capable of producing the same yields and
quality output as other more complex hydroponic systems. Because it allowed to mostly dry
between waterings and pulls nutrients up via perlite wicking the roots are very well
oxygenated. Since fresh nutrient is added every 3-4 days there is no reservoir to become
imbalanced. Although it looks like dirt the perlite/vermiculite medium is completely inert, it
contains no nutrients and provides no PH or nutrient buffer. Plants can drink all the
nutrient they want just as in other hydroponic systems.
The hempy system has the advantage that because it is simple there are fewer mistakes to
be made. Also important si the fact that the hempy bucket has no pumps of any kind that
can fail without you noticing. Hempy buckets can be used in a greenhouse outdoors with no
power at all. Like a soil grow the medium retains moisture so you can leave the bucket for
up to a week with no adverse affects.
The downfalls compared with other hydroponic systems are that plants must be moved one
by one in buckets if moved. You also must water a hempy bucket by hand every 3-4 days
and with a large number of plants that can become very labor intensive. For instance, for
someone who could not carry a five gallon bucket filled with water a hempy installation of
more than 3-4 plants would probably be unmanageable unless the water source was very
close by. Because you flush out the nutrient solution and any unused nutrients in it every
few days the hemp bucket also requires more nutrients than other hydroponic methods.
Continuous Drip System

Another popular technique is the continuous drip system. With a continuous drip a
reservoir (often large outdoor garbage cans) are used with a pump to push nutrient through
a hose. The hose will have holes or drip fittings over each place that should be watered and
maintain a constant slow drip or trickle into the container.
Consideration and Pitfalls

It is important with any hydroponic system to remember that there is no buffer. Plants will
respond very quickly if there are no nutrients and/or water or the PH of the nutrient
solution is incorrect. Roots need high oxygen levels or they will rot. And of course
remember that plants need space to grow and should never be planted where their roots
will intermingle.
Ideal PH level with hydroponic systems is 5.8. The best way to handle a PH adjustment
depends on whether you are using a reservoir or not. In a hempy bucket the best solution is
to flood with nutrient that is corrected. This will push out the imbalanced nutrient. With a
reservoir PH can be adjusted in the same manner as the water with a PH up and PH down
solution.
Fundamentals/Organic vs Inorganic
Organic vs Inorganic
The organic vs inorganic choice is a hot topic. You don't need a book to help you make any
moral decisions so its just the facts here. The plant material that the plant grows is
identical in structure and content regardless of which method you use. The plant only uses
basic building blocks, taking molecules from the air and the nutrients and assembling them
into the plant matter. The by product of this process is oxygen.
The real (practical) difference between organic and inorganic growing is how the raw
materials are provided. An organic grower will use larger elements that will be broken
down by a system of organisms living in the nutrient solution/grow medium or the soil. An
inorganic grower uses nutrients that are already broken down into a form that the plant can
utilize. Non-organic nutrients might contain organic components. For instance, many
fertilizers intended for soil will include urea nitrogen. This nitrogen requires
micro-organisms to break it down before the plant can use it. These organisms won't thrive
without soil so these fertilizers may not work in hydroponic systems.
There are hydroponic mixtures that are organic and there are those which are not. Either
way, you have control over what you feed your plants and can insure that no harmful
pesticides or other chemicals are used in growing your own marijuana. Provided you flush
your plants properly they won't contain any of the nutrient solution so the actual plant
material that results should be the same.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Nutrient Selection and Maintenance 11
Fundamentals/Nutrient Selection
and Maintenance
Nutrient Selection and Maintenance
Nutrient selection is a very important part of your growth plan. This book will not advocate
any specific nutrient blend or mix but instead will cover nutrients in a more general
manner.
There are three macro nutrients that must be considered when growing marijuana, (N)
Nitrogen, (P) Phosphorus, and (K) Potassium. Almost every plant additive you look at will
specify these numbers often in the format N-P-K without actually labeling which is which.
These numbers really don't let you compare competing products effectively but they do
show you the ratios of one macro ingredient to the next. During the different growth phases
you will want different concentrations of these macro nutrients. During vegetative growth
you will want high nitrogen and low phosphorus and during flowering you will want high
phosphorus and lower nitrogen. It is worth busting another myth here. Many people believe
that because there are separate vegetative and flowering formulas that having high P
during veg or high N during flowering will hurt things. This simply isn't true. It is wasteful
to throw away chemicals that are not needed and there is a maximum nutrient
concentration that plants can handle without burning roots. This means that you wouldn't
want to trade P for N during flowering. But most flowering formulas actually contain
enough N that they could be used during vegetative growth.
There are also a number of micro-nutrients needed for growth that must be present. Many
major fertilizers for soil do not contain these micro-nutrients because they assume it will be
provided in the soil. Always use hydroponic nutrients for hydroponic growing.
Regardless of what nutrients you use, they will be mixed with water. The water you use
should ideally be reverse osmosis treated or if tap water is a must then make sure to let it
sit out overnight to let any chlorine contained in it evaporate. This is a deceptive thing in
that chlorinated tap water will work fine but will prevent your plant from ever reaching its
full potential. This is a great place to squash the rain water myth. Rain water is full of
minerals, dirt, and living organisms it is neither the best nor the worst choice for growing
plants. In particular if you are using an indoor grow or hydroponic rig you will not desire to
use rainwater since it will contain heavy amounts of minerals that you did not intend to add
to your carefully controlled growth system.
Dry vs Wet
Wet nutrients are very trendy and hip in the hydroponic world. There is nothing wrong with
a wet nutrient, you know it will mix well but they are generally more expensive because the
bottle contains more water and less nutrient. This also makes them more expensive to ship
and transport. When it comes time to mix them and feed your plant either dry or wet works
equally well.
In both cases you should add to the water after filling the container rather than adding
nutrients and then filling. Adding before filling can lead to nutrient imbalances.
Flushing Soil
Nutrient salts will build up in soil it is highly recommended that you flush your soil plants
with clean water from time to time. If in a pot flush with 3 times the volume of the pot with
water and for plants in the ground flush until the ground is fully saturated and possibly
repeat the following day. This is also recommended if the plants show signs of nutrient or
ph imbalance.
Maintaining a Reservoir
Proper maintenance of your reservoir is essential to growing healthy marijuana to its full
potential if you grow using a hydroponic method that requires you to keep a res. The
critical factors here are nutrient levels and PH. Unfortunately, there is no simple way to
track the level of individual nutrients in your reservoir but there are ways to keep a healthy
reservoir system going just the same.
To begin, you will want to mix your nutrients at full strength according to the
manufacturers recommendations. You should use either reverse osmosis treated water or if
you must use tap water draw it from the cold water tap and let your water sit overnight to
evaporate chlorine. Hot water will contain more dissolved impurities than cold water. After
adding your nutrients and micro-nutrients you should adjust your PH to 5.8 which is ideal
for hydroponic nutrient solution. Measure the TDS, or total dissolved solids with a TDS
meter. With full strength nutrient solution this number will probably be around 1100-1300
TDS. This will be where you want to keep your nutrient (if using lower strength nutrient for
earlier stages then mix and measure TDS accordingly).
Now all you need to do is top off your nutrient solution with clean water daily. If your TDS
is low then add nutrients. If your PH is off then adjust it.
Since the plant will not absorb nutrients in the same proportions you are adding them
imbalances will result over time. To correct this you will periodically need to drain and fill
your reservoir with fresh nutrient solution. To begin with do this at least once a month and
just before you start flowering. During flowering change the resevoir every two weeks. How
often you actually need to do this depends on the plants, the nutrients, the size of the
reservoir, etc. Luckily the plants will let you know how often you need to do this. They will
start exhibiting signs of nutrient deficiency when there is an imbalance and you will know
that you can't go longer than that before changing the reservoir. Especially with clones you
will be able to get res changes down to a system of clockwork since the clones will
generally all have the same nutrient preferences.
PH Ideals and Adjustment

The ideal PH for your garden is based on nutrient uptake. A PH that is too low will be too
acidic and burn the roots of your plant. A PH that is too high will be too alkaline and cause
your plants roots to be unable to uptake nutrients. Many supposed nutrient deficiency
problems are really caused by improper PH levels. PH can be tested with a digital meter
(ideal), or with chemical drop tests or test strips. Because PH optimally should be adjusted
to a tenth of a point accuracy a digital meter is highly recommended.
Depending on your method of grow and weather you are using soil or hydroponic different
nutrients will be absorbed at different PH levels. For a hydroponic garden the only PH level
that all nutrients will be absorbed at is 5.8. For soil gardens the ideal PH is 6.5.
Adjusting PH
Leaving tap water to sit out overnight will evaporate chlorine and raise PH. Adding
nutrients will lower PH. But once you have done those things how do you move the PH to
where it needs to be?
There are a couple simple ways to do this. There are commonly sold chemicals known as PH
up and PH down sold at hydroponic gardening stores that will adjust PH for you. Similar
chemicals are also sold for pools but these are not recommended for plants. But the easiest
method can be found in your kitchen. Simple baking soda and distilled white vinegar will
adjust PH up and down respectively. These should be used in very small amounts. You
might need to play with them to find what is needed for your water source and nutrients (it
should remain consistent once you've found what you need to add). I find that in a 4 gallon
flowering nutrient mix 1/2 tsp is enough to raise the PH from 5.0 to 5.8.
PH adjustment chemicals should be added after all nutrients. After adding PH adjustment
chemicals mix well and then give your water a couple hours for everything to stabilize. If
you are using baking soda and vinegar then try to avoid using them in combination. Use
either one or the other if possible. They will react with one another to form CO2. CO2 is
great for plants leaves and flowers but is bad for plant roots.
Fundamentals/Lighting
Lighting
Lighting is probably the most crucial element in a grow. If you don't have proper lights then
you won't get good results. Unfortunately, this remains true on a low budget and in order to
grow indoors you will need to invest in a good light. A general rule of thumb for lighting is
2000 lumens per square foot.
Flourescent
Flourescent and Compact Flourescent lighting (CFL) is effective for growing marijuana but
the spectrum is not ideal. When evaluating these lights you should always look at actual
watts and not equivelent watts. These lights come in multiple spectrums but generally they
are divided into warm, cool, and daylight spectrums. The daylight spectrum bulbs are ideal
but you can use a combination of warm and cool bulbs in equal number as well.
Flourescents lack penetrating power and you will need to keep them within 6 inches of the
plant tips except for rooting clones. For rooting clones you will want the lights about 18
inches above the plant tips. Flourescents work well for clones and seedlings that can't take
bright or hot lights and also perform well for vegetative growth. Unfortunately these lights
simply do not have the punch to perform well for flowering. They can be used in a pinch if
you use lots of watts and a shallow grow area by training plants. Many cabinet growers do
this with 150w CFL's.
These bulbs require a ballast in addition to a fixture, in CFL bulbs the ballast is built into
the bulb.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Lighting 14
Mercury Vapor
Mercury Vapor bulbs are cheap and readily available. But their spectrum makes them a
poor choice for growing marijuana.
Incandescent
These bulbs are everywhere but they are extremely inefficient. You will pay a fortune
lighting up these bulbs and reap little reward. These include so called 'grow bulbs' sold in
stores.
LED Lighting
LED lighting has a number of advantages. The lamps have a fixed angle so no reflector is
needed, all the light output is directed at the plants. LED lighting runs cool and the plants
can grow right up to the lights. These lights produce light in a fairly tight spectrum and
lamps are available that can be combined to stimulate all the photo sensitive hormones in
the plant.
The downside is that the light spectrums of commonly available LED's aren't perfect for
growing marijuana. The number of lumens output by LED's is actually fairly low and LED's
are extremely expensive. This technology simply isn't there yet for growers but it will come
in time.
Metal Hallide
Metal Hallide is a high intensity discharge lighting that produces a bluish light. This light
spectrum works very well for the vegetative stage of growing but does not work especially
well for the flowering cycle which requires more red spectrum for optimal growth. This
type of lighting is very popular among growers who often purchase digital ballasts that can
switch between these HPS type bulbs.
High Pressure Sodium

High Pressure Sodium or HPS is the most popular type of bulb among knowledgable
growers today. Most street lamps are HPS lighting. HPS lamps provide an excellent
spectrum for flowering and although their spectrum is not quite right for vegetation there
are spectrum corrected bulbs with more blue light that work well through the complete
grow cycle. There are metal hallide conversion bulbs that work in HPS ballasts, and there
are digital ballasts that can switch between the two types of bulb. A 400w HPS light puts
out 55,000 lumens and the bulbs become more efficient up until the 600w bulb which puts
out 95,000 lumens. The next largest commonly available size of HPS bulb is 1000w but
these are less efficient and give fewer lumens per watt than the 600w lamps.
Special Bulbs
There are a number of special bulbs which you might encounter. You might encounter
conversion bulbs, these bulbs allow you to run a lamp in a ballast intended for a different
type of lamp. For instance, MH conversion for HPS ballasts and HPS conversion to MH
ballasts. Additionally there are spectrum corrected HPS and MH bulbs that add blue and
red spectrum respectively to make the lighting work better for growth. Yet other lamps
have a reflector built into the bulb.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Lighting 15
Reflectors
There are two reflectors you will certainly want to have. The first is on your lamp, these
reflectors vary widely in price but generally you want a polished aluminum reflector that
spreads the light well over your grow area. Some reflectors have hoods with an opening to
attach ducting in order to keep the light cooler. There area also glass tube fixtures that
ducting can connect to 'cool tubes' are the common term used for these.
The other reflector is that around your grow area. The best solution for this is some sort of
reflective film such as reflective mylar. Mylar reflects 95% of light back at the plants. In a
large space you might want to put the film on cardboard that can be position to enclose the
grow to bring the walls in.
If you dont' have access to mylar than flat white paint is recommended. Do not use a mirror,
mirrors actually absorb light and do not use aluminum foil, it creates hot spots.
Fundamentals/Ventilation and Odor
Control
Ventilation and Odor Control
Ventilation is absolutely essential to plant health. Plants absorb CO2 and release oxygen.
The roots in turn require oxygen so both must be present in your grow environment.
Additionally odor control will be very important. Marijuana has a pungent odor and some
strains can be smelled for miles without some form of odor control.
Negative Ion Generation

Negative ion generators can help with odor control problems. These machines will use a
negative charge to attract positively charged particles in the air. These are best purchased
off the shelf but you do need to know that you shouldn't actually put the generator in the
room with the Plants. They are said to interfere with the taste, odor, and even potency of
the end product.
Ozone Generators
Ozone (o3) is what gives the air a fresh smell after a thunderstorm. Ozone oxidizes organic
particles in the air but in high concentrations can irritate your lungs. For this reason ozone
generators are typically put on the timer with one and off cycles to allow the system to
output just enough ozone to control the odor.
These generators come in two basic varieties, corona discharge and uv generation. Since uv
generators require longer exposure to the air the corona discharge systems are probably
more sensible for most gardeners. There are plans online to make corona discharge units
with neon sign transformers. This is definitely NOT recommended, these devices are a
severe fire and electrocution hazard that will not be properly isolated and housed and will
be placed in a wet environment. It is probably a safer and more effective idea to simply
purchase a small used unit.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Ventilation and Odor Control 16
Odor Neutralizers and Masking Agents

One common technique for a small scale closet grow operation to build an odor remover
bucket. Simply drill 1/2 inch holes around the top of a 5 gallon bucket. Fill the bucket with
perlite or absorbent crystals and then add an odor neutralizer or masking agent chemical.
Odor neutralizing agents such as ONA are definitely more effective than those that merely
mask odors.
Active Carbon Filtration

This technique involves forcing exhaust air through active carbon in order to filter out
odors. This method is highly effective and very popular and can also be used in combination
with the other methods. These filters can be purchased or you can find plans to construct
them online.
Ideally, you would use your exhaust fan to pull the air through the filter rather than push
air through it.
Intake and Exhaust

Unless you are adding CO2 you should make sure that you have a highly effective exhaust
system. You will want to make sure your exhaust fan is rated for high CFM under pressure.
All fans will have a CFM rating, this rating is how many cubic feet of atmosphere the fan
moves per minute. Your exhaust fan should be capable of evacuating your grow room at
least once every five minutes. Multiply the width, height, and depth of your room to
determine the total cubic feet, divide this number by five and you will have the minimum
CFM fan rating needed. Of course this assumes the fan maintains its CFM under pressure
and actually performs to specifications. In practice this doesn't happen. It is best to
overshoot this rating as much as your budget will allow. Even if your fan does perform to
specifications pulling more air through will help keep the temperature of the room down
and exhaust the heat from powerful fans.
Generally squirrel cage and duct fans are used for exhaust systems. These fans can be
connected to 4 inch and 6 inch flexible ducting that can be used to route the air where you
want it and to pull air through a carbon filter.
In addition to your exhaust system you will need an air intake. For many systems a passive
intake is used, simply providing a channel for fresh air to enter the grow room to replace
the air being exhausted. For a larger area or longer intake line you may need an active
intake. Providing an active intake relieves pressure to allow the exhaust and intake to share
the workload of air exchange. Otherwise the exhaust fan must provide the force required to
pull air into the room as well as the force required to exhaust.
CO2 Supplementation
CO2 Supplementation yields dramatically larger flowers than growing without adding CO2.
The idea is to replicate earlier geological conditions when atmospheric carbon dioxide
levels were higher and plants grew far larger than they do today. The ideal level of CO2 is
between 1500-2000 ppm. There are many ways to add this CO2. CO2 moves very easily and
weighs more than oxygen. Because of this you will want fans to be off during the period in
which you are supplementing CO2. Because plants only utilize CO2 for photosynthesis you
will only need to supplement during the lights on period.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Ventilation and Odor Control 17
Fermentation
This is done by fermenting sugars with yeast. Sometimes even basic sugar and water is
used for this purpose. Others use a more sophisticated blend with nutrients for the yeast.
You will need to use an airlock (tubing coming out of a sealed fermentation vessel or jug
and placed in a cup of water so the CO2 has to bubble out through the water will work).
This method is very cheap and easy to setup but while every bit helps this will not raise
your CO2 levels to the ideal 1500-2000ppm.
Dry Ice
You can generate CO2 by simply melting dry ice (which is frozen CO2) but it is difficult to
control the speed of release to precisely control the CO2 levels. Additionally you will need
to add ice each day and the ice can not be kept in your freezer.
Vinegar and Baking Soda

When vinegar and baking soda react they release CO2. You can produce CO2 at a
controlled rate by utilizing a drip system.
Propane Burners
Propane burners generate lots of CO2 and can be controlled but they also generate lots of
heat that must be exhausted.
Stored CO2 Cannisters

These can be purchased with cash at any gas supply shop. This is the least expensive and
most controlled way to supply CO2. The downside is that there is a high up front cost and a
few calculations are required to determine how to setup the system and output CO2 at the
proper rate.
The details of the setup will vary based on your equipment but there are a few basic
components you will need to use this method. The first is a tank. Tanks must be refitted
with new seals periodically. Generally a gas supply will exchange your cannister with
another that has a similar amount of time left on it rather than fill the cannister on the spot.
In addition to the cannister itself you will need a solenoid switch to allow you to use a timer
to control when the tank releases gas and when it does not. A regulator is needed to
regulate the pressure to a lower and fixed pressure that won't damage your other
equipment. To the output of the regulator you will need a flow meter with needle valve.
Usually this will consist of a tube with increment markings and a little ball that raises to
show you how much CO2 is flowing through the flowmeter. This allows you to fine tune the
output of your CO2 system. Finally you will need plastic tubing with holes in it in order to
actually distribute the CO2 around the grow area. Remember CO2 is heavier than air and
will fall downward when released out of the tube. This means you should position the
tubing above your plants.
You can purchase all of these components aside from the cannister as kits sold for
hydroponics. Follow the directions that come with the kit to set your timer, flowmeter, and
regulator.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Temperature Control 18
Fundamentals/Temperature Control
Temperature Control
Marijuana can survive between the temperatures of 60F to 92F but those are not ideal
temperatures, those are the extremes the plant can generally survive without dying. Ideal
temperature control allows you to grow larger and higher quality marijuana with denser
buds. In fact, once the basic nutrient and light needs of the plant are met temperature
control has the greatest impact on flower density of any other element.
The ideal range for marijuana is 75f-83f. Flower density will be determined not so much by
the temperature you grow at but by the range of temperature. It is better to have plants
that sit at 85f during the day and 83f at night than 75f at night and 83f during the day.
Getting those temperatures and temperature ranges can be quite a challenge but there are
tricks to help. One simple trick is to have the hot lights run at night and have the dark
period occur during the daytime hours. A small space heater or heating pad can be used to
raise temperatures if needed. And of course airflow and air conditioning are a great way to
remove heat and hot air from your grow environment. If your grow is closed for CO2
exchange then a dehumidifier is a great way to reduce temperatures.
Fundamentals/Grow Mediums
Grow Mediums
Grow mediums exist to provide a stable base for your plant to grow its roots through and to
hold up the weight of the plant. Over the years many substances have been found to fill this
role and they have different properties. Often a grower will use one or more of these
mediums depending on the methods he has chosen for growing and the desired properties
of the medium in the container being used.
Soil
Good old earth. Soil is actually a composite of a number of substances and varies from on
location to another. Soil is typically composed of rock, sand, clay, and organics. Organics
are decomposed plant and animal matter and provide the nutrient content that is contained
in soil, clay binds soil together and retains moisture, rocks and sand provide drainage to
allow for root oxygenation. Additionally soil is usually teaming with microorganisms that
are feeding on and breaking down the organics contained within it.
If growing a potted plant indoors you will probably want to mix at least perlite with your
soil to enhance moisture retention. It is also highly recommended that potting soil be used
in a pot rather than soil that you have dug from the ground. A potting mix can be more
carefully designed for optimal plant health and the soil outside will contain many unwanted
forms of insect life that can and will infect and kill your plants.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Grow Mediums 19
Another common concern with soil is that potting soils often already have fertilizers in them
(in addition to the nutrients contained in the organics). In general, try to avoid potting soils
with time release nutrients but if you do purchase a bag, be aware that the plant will not
need any nutrients for a period of time and just water with clean water to avoid burning the
roots.
Perlite
Perlite is a porous white substance that is very absorbant and excellent at retaining and
wicking moisture. Perlite is often used for cloning and mixing with other grow mediums but
can also be used on its own. Growers who use perlite as a sole grow medium will often
purchase large coarse chunks rather than the smaller porous perlite that is more readily
available in most areas. It is not recommended to use perlite in a circulating system
because the fine dust that comes off the perlite will clog pumps over time. The same fine
dust brings a recommendation that when handling perlite you utilize a respirator device so
that the dust does not harm your lungs.
Perlite is completely inert substance so will not interfer with your feeding schedules. That
said, there are manufacturers such as Miracle Grow that put nutrients in their brand of
perlite even though it is not indicated on the label. This material can be used but should be
flushed thoroughly with water to wash out the nutrients. Perlite should be washed anyway
to remove the fine dust that builds up in it.
Vermiculite
Vermiculite is a crushed volcanic rock medium that provides excellent drainage when
mixed with other grow mediums. Vermiculite is inert but is not particularly suitable for use
as a grow medium by itself.
Rockwool
Rockwool is literally spun rock. Much the way sugar is spun into cotton candy the rock is
spun into a material that looks similar to the spun glass used for insulation (but not so
itchy). Rockwool is completely inert and most growers are using rockwool in some form. If
allowed free drainage rockwool will retain just the right amount of moisture and drain the
rest off.
Rockwool comes in multiple sizes of cube. There are smaller cubes or plugs that are
typically used for seedlings or clones and larger blocks that are used in hydroponic systems
such as ebb and flow trays. Some of the large blocks have holes in them to make it easy to
insert the small plugs or cubes you used to clone the plant directly into the larger block
The only concern with rockwool is that it should be completely submerged in water for 8hrs
prior to use in order to remove any air bubbles in the medium.
Hydroton
Hydroton is one name for a medium that consists of lava rock or clay pellets that are
available in different sizes and usually have a red coating on the outside. This inert medium
is effective in continuous drip and ebb and flow systems. It is also an excellent choice
anywhere you need drainage and some have used it for the bottom couple of inches of a
hempy bucket to facilitate free drainage.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Grow Mediums 20
Coconut Fiber
This is a fairly new medium that many are beginning to use. Coconut fiber offers some of
the buffering capacity of soil, drains well, retains enough moisture to be useful, and has
little nutrient content.
21
Seedlings
Marijuana Cultivation/Seedlings
Seedlings
Selecting Seeds
Good marijuana simply can not be harvested from poor seed. There are thousands of strains
of marijuana and established seed lines and breeders. All of these have different
characteristics for you to select from. Among the traits to consider are size, duration of
flowering period, yield, type of psychoactive effect, strength of psychoactive effect, THC
content (this is NOT synonymous with psychoactive potency), odor, taste, and visual effect.
The odor, taste, and visual effect combined are often referred to as 'bag appeal'.
Quality of Source
The quality of source seeds is something you need to consider. Your sources can range from
bag seed from dirt weed to clones from a plant with known premium pedigree properties.
Any grower will tell you that smokers don't know what is good and what is not. There are
no shortage of smokers who have only experienced good marijuana in the form of a
midgrade. These individuals tend to refer to any decent mid as skunk or chronic. There is
nothing wrong with that but if you are one of those individuals you are about to attain a
new level of awareness.
One thing you should note is that the quality of the buzz is actually more important than the
potency. It really doesn't matter how potent the marijuana is or how high the THC content.
A plant with a strong couchlock or cerebral high will have a peak effect and the potency of
the plant only changes how much material must be used to achieve that effect. The end
result of smoking lots of low potency marijuana is the same as smoking a smaller amount of
the most potent and highest thc content marijuana with the same kind of buzz. This can be
observed by smoking a sinsemillia bud and a pollinated bud from the same mother. Both
will have the same effect, you just have to smoke more of the lower potency seedy material.
Bag Weed
Bag weed is a mystery. The genetics hiding in those seeds could hold many surprises and
could hold the next great pedigree plant or they could hold nothing more than dirt weed.
When evaluating bag weed there are a number of indicators to look for. The first is
packaging. If the marijuana is packed in a brick or pressed into tight chunks that is has to
be broken off of then this indicates that it is a heavily commercialized strain. This is fairly
consistently low quality material. The next indicator is seediness. It is perfectly possible to
lower the quality of premium marijuana by pollinating it but this sort of carelessness
indicates that the grower either didn't care about what he was doing or didn't know. It is a
fair bet that said grower didn't care or know about the strain either. Another important
indicator is color of the plant material. A very dark brown, almost black indicates a highly
competent curing method, next up is a nice green plant material that doesn't smell grassy
Marijuana Cultivation/ Seedlings 22
and reveals the color of the hairs, purple plant material will tend to have less potency
potential among pedigrees but has excellent bag appeal and generally will be of a pedigree
strain, the absolute worst things to see are a light green plant material with a grassy smell
and light brown material.
Now having considered those qualities you will of course want to consider the buzz
delivered by the material, side effects like paranoia, dry mouth, and appetite stimulation.
Also important is odor and appearance. Not all pedigree marijuana has a strong odor but a
strong odor is usually a good sign. And of course taste is important. Some marijuana strains
even have a nice fruity taste.
Purchased Seeds
One easy way to acquire excellent genetics is to simply purchase from a known and
reputable breeder. There are many online seed companies that are reliable and will ship
anywhere in the world. You do need to be cautious because the companies do not verify
that seeds are legal in your location and leave that burden upon you. If you try to import
seeds where they are not allowed by law you risk losing the money you invested in the
seeds.
Things to look for in seeds are feminization (if done by a competent breeder these seeds do
NOT carry an increased probability of hermaphroditism). Feminized seeds produce all
female plants. This is desirable since in regular seed only about half are females. You will
want an all female crop in order to prevent pollination and grow sinsemillia weed that is
much more potent. Since only the female plants are desired half of the seeds you purchase
will be wasted with regular seeds. It will also leave empty space in your grow area.
Another important trait to look for are seeds which are F1 Hybrids. F1 Hybrids are
genetically more desirable. These seeds are from the strains original parent plants. Seeds
from two F1 plants of the same strain would be F2. With each successive generation of
inbreeding the genetic stock becomes weaker. F1 plants will also be more likely to enjoy
what is called 'hybrid vigor'. Hybrid vigor is a phenomenon that sometimes occurs in hybrid
crosses causing a incredible vigor and growth in the offspring produced by the cross.
Clones
Clones obviously aren't seeds, but they are cuttings from a mother plant and used to
propagate genetics and start gardens. When grown out the cutting with have the same
genetics as the mother plant and therefore all the same characteristics. There are locations
where you can sample marijuana and then purchase cuttings from the same mother as the
plant that produced it. Obtaining a cutting of known quality genetics is the best way to
obtain genetics. If this option is available to you then you should go with it. Cuttings can be
taken from any marijuana plant so if you have a friend that grows you might be able to
acquire excellent genetics. As an added bonus, since cuttings are clones they also share the
gender of the parent plant. This means cuttings from a female plant will always be female.
Basic Types of Plant

It is worth having some understanding of what strains of plant are out there. This lets you
describe what you are growing and understand what others are growing.
Cannabis Indica
Indica plants are short, bushy, mature early, have more chlorophyll and less accessory
pigments (accessory pigments protect the plant from excessive sunlight). Indicas are very
resinous plants that provide a body buzz couch lock effect.
Cannabis Sativa
Sativa plants are taller, take longer to mature, have less chlorophyll and more accessory
pigments. Traditional botonists tend to mislabel all cannabis as cannabis sativa. Sativa
plants have much higher yields than indicas and have a very cerebral buzz. They are
typically very consistent maintaining the same results from one generation to the next.
Ruderalis
Ruderalis plants are typically very short and extremely low potency. Ruderalis do have one
interesting trait. Other strains of marijuana flower when the light output is reduced to
twelve hours a day, allowing a build up of a light sensitive hormone in the plant that tells it
winter has arrived. Ruderalis plants autoflower even under a 24hr light cycle. For this
reason there are crosses between potent indicas and sativas with ruderalis to attempt to
create a plant with higher yield and greater potency that flowers automatically. This offers
the benefit of having the plant enjoy as much photosynthesis during its lifecycle.
Hybrid
A hybrid is a cross between two or more of the other strains of plant. Most commercially
available strains are hybrids with varied amounts of indica and sativa. There are a few
ruderalis hybrids as well.
Germinating Seeds
A great deal is made of germinating seeds. In truth the process is simple and if done
correctly will give excellent results, generally 90+% germination rates.
In order to germinate seeds you should take a paper towel and fold it in half and half again.
Wet the paper towel thoroughly with reverse osmosis filtered water and place the seeds in
the crevice made by the last fold. Close the paper towel and place it on a plate. Then place
the plate in a dark place and check it 24hrs later. Continue to check every 8hrs keeping the
paper towel moist until the shell of the seed opens and a white shoot comes out. This will
typically occur within 72hrs. Now that the seed has sprouted you can push it into your
desired grow medium. It is best to sprout your seeds in either a small rockwool cube or
directly into the same grow medium you plan to use in your final grow. This will reduce
stress on the plant when you transplant it.
From Sprout to Seedling

Once the germinated seed is placed in grow medium it should be watered with plain water
until it sprouts. When it sprouts it will have two small round petals. This is considered a
sprout. You should continue to water with clean water at least until the first set of true
serrated edged leaves form and the two small round leave brown and die. This is normal,
the plant uses those leaves as a sort of parachute to allow it to utilize the nutrients stored
in the seed itself. During this stage of growth the plant is very delicate and should only be
placed under fluorescent lights.
At this point your sprout is now called a seedling. If you sprouted in a rockwool cube you
should either place it into your desired grow medium and begin feeding with a weak 1/4
strength nutrient solution or if you have it in soil you can just continue to water as is since
there should be nutrients in the soil.
25
Vegetative Growth
Marijuana Cultivation/Vegetative
Growth
Vegetative Growth
The vegetative growth cycle is about growing the plant mass in preparation for flowering.
Outdoor you will have several months of vegetative growth. Indoors you can have as little
as a week (if using clones), 4-6wks (typical), or as much as you want.
Lighting
The adult life cycle of the marijuana plant consists of two stages of growth. Vegetative and
Flowering. The plant determines which of these stages of growth it should be in through
the presence of a flowering hormone which is sensitive to light. As long as light levels above
12-14hrs are maintained the flowering hormone will never be present in high enough levels
to induce flowering in the plant. At any point during the plants life if the light is on for more
than 12hrs a day it will cause the levels of flowering hormone to be reduced and the plant
to revert to the vegetative growth stage. If a plant is reverted during flowering by irregular
light patterns it can cause stress in the plant and stress can cause hermaphroditism. A
plant can be maintained in vegetative growth without being allowed to flower indefinitely
with no adverse effects.
Typically indoor growers who can control their light cycles will use either 18hrs of light per
day or 24hrs of light per day. There are mythical claims that a darkness period is needed
but there is no evidence to support this. Extremely healthy and potent marijuana is grown
under 24hr vegetative light. What is in dispute is whether the extra light hours bring a
great deal of benefit compared with 18hr light. Most 24hr growers claim some increase in
plant vegetation but few claim a large increase.
Feeding
During vegetative growth you will want to use a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen at full
strength. Nitrogen is used by the plant to grow stems, leaves, and other green parts and so
is absolutely essential to the vegetative phase of growth. As always you should begin with
the manufacturers suggestions for the period of growth you are in when adding fertilizer
and then adjust up or down based on how your plants respond.
There is another section on plant problems but a good hint to know at this stage is that it is
common to mistake too many nutrients or PH misadjustment for nutrient deficiency. Always
carefully check PH before adjusting nutrients to fix a problem and if adding nutrients
doesn't seem to be fixing your 'deficiency' try flushing the system instead. Unlike the
drooping leaves that result from under or over watering yellowing and necrosis from
nutrient problems generally don't recover but they stop getting worse and new growth will
be green and healthy.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Vegetative Growth 26
Training and Trimming

Different techniques have developed for training plants. The goal of training a marijuana
plant is to optimize yield with the available light and space. Outside a plant in the middle of
a clearing with a full year of vegetation can probably be left to do what it wants and give
great yields. Indoors the light is more precious and and many growers are using small
cabinets. They just train their plants to utilize the space they have.
A couple things that any grower should be aware of are that leaves are solar panels. You
might be twisting and directing the branches but the plant knows better than you when and
where it needs leaves, leave them alone. If a gentle pull on the leaf doesn't cause it to give
way immediately then it is healthy tissue. Usually you will only want to removed browned
leaves. With a thick canopy under indoor light the lower growth will yellow and die, this is
because the plant isn't getting much light there and steals the nutrients from these now
uneeded leaves. This is nature at work and not always a sign of too much or few nutrients.
Another thing that is important to know is that the tops of the plant produce the most
potent and largest flowers. Most training techniques focus on maximizing the number of
those top flowers and on removing smaller lower flowers the plant will direct all its energy
to the larger tops. How much difference different training techniques make is debated but
trimming lower growth that is far from the light is universally agreed to improve yield. Any
time you bend a branch horizontally it will cause the plant to produce a hormone that
encourages lateral growth.
When training plants you will occasionally snap a stem. It happens. Plants can usually
recover from this. Just position the stem back together and tape it in place. Give the stem
time to recover before applying more pressure to that spot. A small knot will develop at the
break and in the end the plant stem will grow back healthier and stronger than before.
Jogging
Jogging also known as the jungle of green or JOG technique is a useful way to maximize the
yield from your crop. It is very effective in a low grow space as well.
With the jog technique you will use wires shaped into "U"'s to hold down the stem into the
desired positions as you gradually shape it around the perimeter of the pot. The goal is to
make the plant entirely fill the pots space with top buds. No matter how much training you
do a plant will have a genetic maximum bud capacity that can not be exceeded. Training
will help you reach that potential but nothing can allow you to exceed it.
Sea of Green
Sea of a green is a technique whereby you grow a far greater number of smaller plants
rather than a small number of large plants. Usually clones are used for uniform growth
characteristics and each plant is trimmed so that only the main stalk grows.
Screen of Green
With the screen of green technique a screen of wire such as chicken wire is held up as a
horizontal plan above the plants and the plants are nudged through the screen to create a
uniform canopy so that all the light is utilized by growth. Generally anything below the
canopy is trimmed off.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Vegetative Growth 27
LST
LST is a technique where a plant is trained through the use of ties or ropes. The idea is that
you use a support rope at the base of the plant pulled one direction and another tied to the
top pulling it down in a different directly. Every couple days the top will be pointing upward
again while axins (branching hormones) reach the other nodes. Each time the top pulls up
above the other branches the top rope should be moved up and the top pulled down.
Continue doing this until the top does not pull above the other branches.
Topping
Topping one of the oldest tricks. No matter what you have heard topping is not clipping off
bud tops. Topping is removing about 3/4 of the top growth tip. This will cause the plant top
to split into two tops. This technique can be used to produce up to about 4 tops on a plant.
28
Cloning
Marijuana Cultivation/Cloning
Cloning
Okay so this is where we cue Doctor Frankenstein's lab. The doctor cackles madly and the
lighting strikes just as he switches the lever. A moment later there is grunting from the
form under the blanket and the doctor screams "It's alive!!!"
Or maybe not. Cloning a plant doesn't require a cleanroom, it doesn't require a lab. No men
in white coats, no special chemicals or treatments. No high school biology let alone a
degree. People have been cloning plants for thousands of years and its extremely easy to
do. The simplest way to clone many plants is to cut off a piece of a plant and toss it in a
glass of water. Stick the glass in the window, wait a few days and presto roots will sprout
from the bottom of the cutting. At this point your cutting is now a clone of the plant it was
cut from. For plants cloning and regeneration are a process that is completely natural. It
happens to them regularly during the simple rigors of existence.
Why Clone?
Basically you clone when you want to be able to replicate the exact genetic characteristics
of a plant. If you have found not only a good strain but a particularly fine specimen you can
share it by cloning. Or you can keep the fine plant in the vegetative stage forever and only
grow out and mature cuttings of it. Not only do you have a plant with known properties
such as potency, potential yield, disease resistance, size, etc but you will be able to have a
garden of plants that given the same conditions will more or less grow at the same rate and
respond to the same way to different training methods. Your plants will all have the same
nutrient requirements as well.
Cloning is also an ideal way to determine the sex and properties of potential mother plants
without every having them undergo the stress of flowering. This is much better than taking
a cutting during flowering or putting a flowering plant back under a longer light cycle to
revert it back to vegetative growth. Stress can alter or damage genetic material and that
genetic change will be passed to the cuttings taken from the mother after that point.
Rooting Hormone
Rooting hormone is completely optional. It often comes as a gel or powder that you apply to
the base of the stem of your cutting to stimulate root growth. An alternative that seems to
yield excellent results when compared to plain water or commercial rooting hormones is a
dip in asprin water. Just crush up two extra strength asprin in a half liter of distilled water
and let sit with occasional agitation overnight. Now dip your stems in the asprin water
instead of rooting hormone before putting them in the medium and you will have excellent
results.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Cloning 29
Cloning Devices
When you take cuts you are going to need to something with them to keep them in ideal
conditions until they grow roots. Obviously you will put them into a medium but then what?
Here are a few devices used for this purpose.
Two Liter Bottle Method

This is probably the cheapest and easiest consistent method to root a small number of
clones. Just cut the bottom 40% off a two liter soda bottle put a clone in rockwool or a
whole small jar with another medium inside the bottom. Cover with a plastic bag and hold
the bag down with a rubber band. Before sealing give it a puff of exhaled air to fill it with
CO2.
This traps humidity and it is normal and desirable for moisture to condense on the
container. You will need to exchange air every day until roots appear.
Humidity Dome
The most common tool used is the humidity dome. These can be purchased for $10-$15 U.S.
Dollars at any hydroponic shop and consist of a plastic tray that is just the right size for a
sheet of small rockwool cubes to fit inside of. There is then a clear plastic cover that fits on
top of the tray to trap humidity. Depending on the number and size of clones you will need
to exchange air between 1 and 3 times a day.
Bubbler
These can be purchased or constructed. Essentially this consists of a tray with a cover. In
the cover there will be numerous net pots and in the tray will be water and aquarium air
stone strips. The strips bubble air through the water causing the bursting bubbles to
moisten the medium in the net pots. These can be used with or without a humidity dome
cover. If a cover is used air exchange is required as per a simple humidity dome.
Wick Cloner
These simple and prolific cloners are generally constructed rather than purchased. A
system similar to the bubbler is used with a tray and cover. Instead of net pots the tray has
half pint plastic containers suspended over the water. A wick, usually a 1 1/2 inch piece of
shoelace or strip of cloth then goes from a hole in the middle of the bottom of the container
down into the water. The containers are then filled with perlite. The wicks pull up moisture
into the perlite. A dome cover is not used with this method.
Taking Cuttings
Taking Cuts
This is the easy part. You will want a pair of sharp scissors and a cup of water handy. When
you take a cut put it into the water immediately. Cuttings should be about four inches long.
You must have a growth tip to take a cutting and will want a couple nodes past that.
Prep Cuts
After you have a few cuttings or all your cuttings take your glass of water over to a sink.
You will need a sharp knife or razor for this step. You should prep and plant each cutting
entirely before moving the next. Remove all leaves except for the top set. Clip the leaves on
Marijuana Cultivation/ Cloning 30
the stop set so that long half their length is present. Place the stem of the cutting under
water either submerged in a pool of water or under a stream in the sink. Cut the stem at a
45 degree angle. This prevents air bubbles in the stem that would prevent moisture uptake.
Finally score the about the bottom 1/4 of the stem. You only want to score the skin of the
stem and not cut into the stem itself.
Planting the Cuttings

Dip your prepared cutting into asprin water or any rooting hormone you have (if any) and
then plant in the container and/or medium you will be using. Try to plant all stems
approximately the same height and just enough to give good purchase in the medium.
That's it, use one of the aforementioned systems to care for your clone for the 7-14 days
until it grows roots (yellowing in the leaves is often a sign that roots are developing). Not
everyone will have 100% success so take extras cuts. This lets you pick the healthiest
clones. After roots form you should plant the clones within 7 days and feed only 1/4 to half
strength nutrient until they are healthy (about 7 days after rooting). Clones should be
treated like seedlings. One major difference is that clones are sexually mature as soon as
they root and can be flowered immediately if you so choose although most growers give
them a veg period.
Generational Cloning
This is the chance to squash another myth. To cut to the chase, a clone of a clone of a clone
of a clone can be taken for at least several hundred generations out without any negative
effects to the plant. In fact, replacing your mother with a fresh clone from healthy tissue
often will mean less genetic damage due to stress and aging over the life of the plant.
31
Sexing
Marijuana Cultivation/Sexing
Sexing
Sexing is an important part of the growing processing for marijuana. It is the source of
much uneeded worry for beginning growers. The reason you will want to sex your plants is
so that you can remove males. Males have little potency of their own, it is the flowers of the
female that you will want to cultivate if you are interested in psychoactive effects. Without
chemical extractions the flower of the female is the only part of the plant that is can be
used for medicinal and recreational use.
It goes a bit beyond that though. A female plant that is not pollinated will direct the bulk of
its energy later in its growth phase into developing the flower buds and swelling them with
the resin that carries the bulk of marijuana's potency. The plant does this so that the large
sticky flowers are more likely to catch pollen. If the flower is pollinated it will instead direct
the bulk of its energy to seed production. This is where low quality dirt weed comes from. If
you have seedy pot, it is dirt weed. The more seeds contained in the pot the lower the
quality. And of course seeds add dramatically to the weight since they weigh more than the
bud itself, this is sharply contrasted with stems that are mostly water weight and have a
negligible weight compared to the bud.
Plants generally should demonstrate their sex one to two weeks into flowering. During the
first ten days of flowering there is very little need for concern about males pollinating your
crop. Additionally, if you reproduce by cloning you will only have to worry about males
once.
Identifying the Male

Males can be identified by looking at the inter-nodes where leaf and branch stems connect
with the main stalk. Male flowers will contain balls somewhere between the size of a
marijuana seed and a popcorn seed. One ball is not definitive since female pistils sometimes
split from a small single ball that opens. But two or three balls in a cluster is sure
confirmation that you have a male. Males should be removed and destroyed to prevent
them from releasing pollen. The pollen transports easily so the males can not be safely
grown anywhere that shares an a/c or ventilation system unless special precautions are
taken.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Sexing 32
Identifying the Female

Females are very simple to identify. They sprout white hairs. A small ball will form and split
and two tiny white hairs like translucent threads will split out. These hairs are called pistils
and intended to catch pollen. Later when the plant is not pollinated these hairs will change
color.
Pistils may guarantee that your plant is not a male but your plant could still be a
hermaphrodite. You must watch plants grown from seed carefully for male flowers and even
a trusted clone if it has undergone stress such as light during its dark period, lack of
watering, or being left to flower far past maturity.
Pre-flowers
On certain strains what are known as pre-flowers may appear while the plant is still in
vegetative growth. This is perfectly normal.
Cloning for Sex

No this is not the title of futuristic fantasy movie. You can always revert a mother to veg in
order to take cuttings and can even take cuttings during flowering (although success rates
will be lower and rooting will take longer) but this process induces stress on the plant that
can and does cause hormonal and genetic changes. It is much better to have a mother plant
that has never been flowering.
Recognizing this, people have begun taking clones from their vegetating plants when they
reach maturity. Once the clone is rooted, you would either flower the original plant or the
clone and keep the other under 18hr or 24hr light indefinitely.
33
Flowering
Marijuana Cultivation/Flowering
Flowering
The majority of marijuana cultivators are cultivating for unpollinated female flowers and
breeding purposes. Naturally most readers are highly interested in this particular phase of
adult marijuana growth. The truth is that flowering is actually pretty simple.
When do I Flower?
When to flower is a decision every grower must make for themselves. During the flowering
stage a plant may grow between 2 and 2 1/2 times the size it achieved in vegetation. An
indoor grower in particular will need to plan space accordingly. Up until the grower will
have been trimming and training plants and during flowering these things should be
avoided if possible so a grower with limited space should also remember that.
One thing that must be remembered is that whenever you want to flower your plant will
need to have reached a level of maturity where it is producing alternating nodes. If grown
from seed this will usually occur a few weeks into vegetative growth. Clones taken from a
mature plant will be sexually mature upon rooting and can be flowered immediately.
Another important thing to look for during flowering is yellowing leaves. Particularly
toward the end of flowering plants will begin robbing nutrients from their leaves. This is
perfectly normal and nothing to be alarmed about. You do not need to make an effort to
remove the leaves unless they are brown and dead.
Lighting and Nutrient Changes

In order to make a plant flower you will need to reduce its light cycle down 12hrs a day.
During flowering it is absolutely essential to make the dark period as dark as possible and
to never interrupt that cycle with light. Light up to the level of moonlight can be present
without preventing the plant from flowering but any light reduces flowering hormone and
will reduce the output of your plants. Light interruptions during the flowering period causes
stress on the plants and can result in stress induced hermaphrodites. Attempts to remove
all the pollen sacks on hermaphrodites are never successful and will result in a seedy crop.
You should begin your flowering nutrient (high in P). Some growers believe that it is
important to begin using flowering nutrients 1-2wks BEFORE switch over the light for
flowering. Others begin flowering nutrients when they switch the light. There may be
benefits to switching nutes early but it is certainly not a requirement.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Flowering 34
Growth and Rough Timeline

It should be noted that this is just a general average guideline. There are wide variations
from this, some strains will move faster and other much more slowly. In some cases that
wait is worthwhile and in others it is not.
1-2wks - During this time your plants will be changing over to their flowering period. It is
generally during this time that the first evidence of flowers will appear.
2-4wks - During this time the plants will begin to stretch for the light. Flowers will appear
at all the nodes but they will be light and airy no matter what you have done.
5+ - During this period you will likely see lots of yellowing on leaves and if you have done
everything else right you will see the buds fill in and thicken substantially.
Last two weeks - During the last 1-2wks of your plants life you will want to water it with
clean water and feed it no nutrients. Before the last 72hrs you will want to flush the grow
medium thoroughly. During the last 24-48hrs you should shut off the lights (thc is light
sensitive and the plants will be utilizing sugars already produced by photosynthesis during
this period). Overall this will increase taste and potency by flushing the plant of fertilizers
and sugars which simply don't taste good when burned.
Supplements
There are a plethora of supplements on the market and no attempt will be made here to list
them all at this time but there are a few general types that most flowering supplements fall
into that can be addressed here.
Sugar supplements such as sweet, molasses, etc - This type of supplement does NOT feed
the plant directly. Plants can not utilize already processed sugars like this. What this does
do is nourish organisms living in the grow medium. If you are using an organic grow
process or growing in soil this can be very beneficial but should be stopped during the flush
period.
Hormone Supplements - Naturally the effects depend on the hormone but all in all these are
beneficial but expensive. Plant growth hormone extracted from algea is helpful but provides
far more benefit during the vegetative grow cycle than the flowering cycle. Plant flowering
hormones are beneficial during flowering, largely for creating more flowering sites than
without. All hormone supplements tend to be very expensive which limits their practical
utility.
Taste enhancers - There are products with citrus and other flavors that claim if you feed
them to plants the plants will take on some aspect of their flavor. This is generally reported
to be false.
Nutrient supplements - Some boosters are simply more flowering nutrient. How well they
work depends on how ideal the mix you are using is already.
Calcium/Magnesium Supplements - These are very useful for balancing out your nutrient
mix, this underrated nutrients are important for plant growth. The use of a supplement like
this is highly recommended for all phases of growth.
35
Harvesting
Marijuana Cultivation/Harvesting
Harvesting
Harvesting marijuana is a joy and a blessing, until it becomes a pain in the arse. There is a
great deal of work involved. Some strains will be more work than others but you can be
certain that harvesting and trimming a crop will require a considerable time investment as
well as sore hands and fingers.
When do I Harvest?
The best way to determine when to harvest is to examine the maturity of the trichomes.
Trichomes are the resin glands of the plant and their level of maturity gives you an idea of
both how mature the plant is and the effects you can expect from the plant if harvested at a
given stage. In order to examine trichomes you will need a pocket microscope, these are
commonly available for about $15 USD in 50-100x magnification, 50x should be plenty.
Trichomes are stalks with a head at the tip, it is the tips that you will look at. You will want
to look at the trichomes in a couple areas over the plant to get a good idea of the overall
maturity. The tips start out clear, then later will begin to cloud, finally the tips will turn
amber. Clear trichs aren't very potent, the ratio of cloudy to amber is really what you want
to look for. The more amber the trichomes the more of body physical stone the pot will
deliver. A heavier ratio of cloudy will deliver more of a soaring mental high. All of this is of
course relative to the general effects provided by the strain. Most harvest at 30-50% amber,
it is not recommended to go beyond 75% amber.
What to Cut
So its time to harvest but what should you cut and how do you go about it. Well the truth is
that this is personal preference. Regardless of how you cut and trim your plants you should
touch the flowers as little as possible and avoid breaking up the buds. Damaging the
delicate trichomes will reduce the potency of the marijuana.
One way is to leave the plants in their pots (more or less intact) and spread out a couple
news papers. Toss large sun leaves on newspaper and do small bud trimming over the
other.
Start with the sun leaves and then trim progressively smaller. This way you will have less in
your way. For now, leave the buds on your stems. For trimming the buds, first take all the
tiny popcorn lower buds and put them where you are going to put your trim these won't be
much of anything when dry. Next trim the actual bud leaves, this trim will have lots of
trichomes so should be saved to make oil, butter, or something else so they don't go to
waste. To trim the bud leaves start with leaves that you can see a stem on and clip off at the
stem to remove. Then begin to trim in a circular motion around the bud until you have cut
back to the sugar coating. Trimming past this point is just wasteful. Don't worry if they look
fluffy or leafy, they will dry and cure into sticky potent buds if you've done everything right.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Harvesting 36
This should leave you with all the buds on a nice thick stem network that is suitable for any
drying/curing process you want to use. Some drying processes will involve just clipping at
the main stem and hanging upside down to try, others will require you to further break
down the plant into smaller bud pieces. When you do this leave enough stem for you to
handle and work with the flowers you can and likely will trim down the stem later and dried
stem doesn't weight a significant amount compared with dried bud. Also, you will find that
you can trim the large top buds into smaller buds one node at a time. It is better to leave as
large of a single bud mass as possible.
37
Curing
Marijuana Cultivation/Curing
Drying and Curing
Drying and curing marijuana is a critical step in the growth process. During this stage you
can lose, preserve, or cultivate odor, flavor, and potency. Odor and flavor must be carefully
cultivated. The drying and curing process allow the plant to purge sugar and if desired to
purge chlorophyll (although some have developed a taste for the chlorophyll in the plant).
Improperly dried and cured marijuana can lose almost all of its original potency and lower
potency marijuana can be concentrated to slightly higher potency if handled properly. Four
things reduce the potency of marijuana those things are exposure to light, heat, damage to
the plant tissue, and air. Additionally, marijuana that is not dried and stored properly can
contain too much moisture and grow mold. It is important to remember that many rapid
drying techniques will dry only the outside of a compact flower and that slow techniques
like curing may be needed to draw that moisture to the surface.
The virtue in drying and curing as with all stages of growing is patience.
Air Drying
Air Drying is probably the popular method of drying marijuana. It can be very well
controlled, by controlling the amount of airflow, you control the speed of drying. A common
technique to suspend the plants upside down in a room with a circulating fan blowing (but
not actually blowing on the plants themselves) to keep air moving. Another technique to put
the buds on a half open drawer or tray in a place with moving air. The further along in the
drying process the more you close the drawer to reduce airflow.
A simpler way to dry the marijuana is to put the buds in a layer in a brown paper bag. This
is simpler but faster and therefore the output is less desirable.
The speed in this process is a trade off. If you dry too fast then it will take longer to cure
the marijuana properly. If you dry too slowly you will be exposing the marijuana to more air
therefore reducing potency. Many growers shoot for about seven days drying time. If you
are not going to cure the marijuana the plants should be dried until the stems snap easily
rather than bend. If you are going to cure then you can begin with slightly more damp (but
still mostly dry) marijuana.
Dry Ice Drying

Because light, heat, and air all degrade potency someone came up with the idea of using a
can or other container in a freezer or using a cooler to dry the marijuana using dry ice. Dry
ice can purchased at most any supermarket and is simply frozen carbon dioxide gas. You
won't want to touch the ice directly but by using about the same amount of ice as marijuana
you can dry your weed out without exposing it to air or light and certainly not heat! Simply
lay down a layer of dry ice, put an insulating layer of breathable cloth over it like a
cheesecloth or a simply kitchen towel. Then lay the buds spread out on top of the ice. Make
Marijuana Cultivation/ Curing 38
sure there is a way for the gas to escape as the dry ice evaporates.
Dry ice never becomes liquid, it sublimates directly into a gas form and carries moisture
away from your bud when it does. Once all the ice is evaporated your bud should be dry. If
not, put a little more ice in and repeat until it is dry.
Microwave and Oven

A microwave and an oven both dry marijuana using heat. You can cover bud between layers
of paper towel in a microwave or use an over on the lowest setting with the door cracked
open to dry marijuana but heat can and will degrade the potency of your final output
dramatically.
Food Dehydrator Drying

Food dehydrators can be used to dry marijuana along with most other materials but are not
recommended for this purpose. Food dehydrators use the direct application of rapid air
movement and in most models the application of heat to dry materials. As explained
previously heat and air will degrade the psychoactive components in the marijuana such as
THC.
Slow Cure
So now that your initial drying is over you need to distribute the remaining moisture evenly
through the bud because right now its all in the middle. You also might want to remove
some more of that moisture and maybe some chlorophyll with it.
The traditional technique is the slow cure. With the slow cure you will put the material into
a sealed container such as a glass jar or tupperware container in the fridge until moisture
rises from the center of the bud to the surface. When the buds feel more you will sit them
out in open air until they feel dry again and then repeat. The period of time before the
moisture is drawn out will become increasingly larger. Most growers recommend curing
like this for a minimum of two weeks. Some cure their marijuana for years.
Water Cure
Water curing is an innovative idea. The resin in marijuana is not water soluble, so
everything in the plant that is water soluble is an impurity. Water curing involves taking dry
marijuana and submerging it in distilled (or at least not chlorinated) room temperature
water (room temp is important, heat degrades potency and cold will make trichomes
brittle). Change the water daily. This can be done for anywhere from 3-14 days and results
in a dark chocolate brown marijuana. We marijuana is wet marijuana and the same slow
drying techniques should be used to remove the moisture from the marijuana the second
time around to insure complete drying.
Sweat Cure
This is often done third world countries and is similar to how tobacco is commonly cured.
Pile your buds into a pile of alternating layers. Shift around the buds periodically. This will
cure and brown the marijuana quickly but is using heat to do it. This technique will reduce
potency and helps bred harmful fungus and bacteria. For these reasons it is not
recommended.
39
Producing Seeds
Marijuana Cultivation/Producing
Seeds
Producing Seeds
Sooner or later every grower is going to want to produce marijuana seeds. Developing a
new stable strain is beyond the scope of this discussion and requires the ability to grow
hundreds or even thousands of breeding plants. However, just about any grower can
manage to preserve some genetics by growing f2 seeds where they have crossed a male
and female of the same strain, or can produce a simple cross which would be referred to as
strain1xstrain2 for instance white widow crossed with ak-47 would be referred to as a WW
x AK-47. You can produce some excellent seed and excellent marijuana this way.
To Feminise or not to Feminise

There are numerous myths surrounding feminized seeds. Feminizing seeds is a bit more
work than simply crossing two plants naturally. However it will save you a lot of time in the
end. If you make fem seeds properly then there is no increased chance of hermaphrodites
and all seeds will be female. This means no wasted time and effort growing males and it
means that all your viable seeds produce useful plants, since roughly half of normal seeds
are male this effectively doubles the number of seeds you have.
Other times you will have no choice but to produce feminized seed because it will be a
female plants genetics that you want to preserve and you won't have any males. Perhaps
you recieved these genetics via clone or didn't keep males.
Selecting Suitable Parents

There are a number of important characteristics when selecting parents. First are you
making fem seeds? If you are then both parents will be female. This makes things easier. If
not then the best you can do is select a male with characteristics in common with the
females you hope to achieve from the seed.
Obviously potency, yield, and psychoactive effects are critical to the selection process. But
some other important traits are size, odor, taste, resistance to mold and contaminants,
early finishing and consistency.
Collecting and Storing Pollen

In order to collect pollen you simply put down newspaper around the base of the plant. The
pollen will fall from the plant onto the newspaper. You can then put this newspaper into a
plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator or freeze it. Pollen will keep for a few months in
the refrigerator and can be used on the next crop. The freezer will extend that to up to six
months but gives the pollen a lower chance of viability that increases with time.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Producing Seeds 40
Pollinating a Plant
To pollinate a plant you can brush the pollen on a flower with a cotton swab or you can take
the plastic bag and wrap the flower inside it and shake. In this way you can selectively
pollinate plants and even individual buds and branches.
Male Isolation
A male plant or a plant with male flowers will pollinate your entire crop rendering it seedy.
You probably don't want THAT many seeds so how can you avoid it? Moving the male to
another room might work but if that other room shares an air path via ducting or air
conditioning then pollen may still find its way. One technique is to construct a male
isolation chamber.
A male isolation chamber is simply a transparent container such as a large plastic storage
tub turned on its side (available at your local megamart). Get a good sized PC fan that can
be powered with pretty much any 12v wall adapter, by splicing together the + (yellow or
red on fan, usually dotted on power adapter) and the - wires (black on fan, usually dotted
power adapter) just twist with the like wire on the other device and then seal up the
connection with electric tape. Then take a filtrate filter and cut out squares that fit the back
of the pc fan so that the fan pulls (rather than pushes) air through the filter. Tape several
layers of filter to the back of the pc fan so all the air goes through the filter. Now cut a
large hole in the top of the plastic container and mount the pc fan over top of it so it pulls
air out the box. You can use silicon sealant, latex, whatever you've got that gives a good
tight seal.
This can be used as is, or you can cut a small intake in the bottom to improve airflow. Pollen
won't be able to escape the intake as long as the fan is moving but you might put filter
paper over the intake to protect against fan failures. You can also use grommets to seal
holes and run tubing into the chamber in order to water hydroponically from a reservoir
outside the chamber. Otherwise you will need to remove the whole chamber to a safe
location in order to water the plant or maintain a reservoir kept inside the chamber.
Making Feminised Seed

To make feminized seed you must induce male flowers in a female plant. There is all sorts
of information on the internet about doing this with light stress (light interruptions during
flowering) and other forms of stress. The best of the stress techniques is to simply keep the
plant in the flowering stage well past ripeness and it will produce a flower.
Stress techniques will work but whatever genetic weakness caused the plants to produce a
male flower under stress will be carried on to the seeds. This means the resulting seeds
have a known tendency to produce hermaphrodites. Fortunately, environmental stress is
not the only way to produce male flowers in a female plant.
The ideal way to produce feminized seed through hormonal alteration of the plant. By
adding or inhibiting plant hormones you can cause the plant to produce male flowers.
Because you did not select a plant that produces male flowers under stress there is no
genetic predisposition to hermaphroditism in the seed vs plants bred between a male and
female parent. There are actually a few ways to do this, the easiest I will list here.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Producing Seeds 41
Colloidal Silver (CS)

This is the least expensive and most privacy concious way to produce fem seed. CS has
gotten a bad name because there is so much bad information spread around about its
production and concentrations. It doesn't help that there are those who believe in drinking
low concentration colloidal silver for good health and there is information mixed in about
how to produce that low concentration food grade product. Follow the information here and
you will consistently produce effective CS and know how to apply it to get consistent
results.
Simply construct a generator using a 9-12v power supply (DC output, if it says AC then its
no good) that can deliver at least 250ma (most wall wart type power supplies work,
batteries are not recommended since their output varies over time). The supply will have a
positive and negative lead, attach silver to each lead (contrary to internet rumors, you
aren't drinking this is cheap 925 silver is more than pure enough) you can expose the leads
by cliping off the round plug at the end and splitting the wires, one will be positive and the
other negative just like any old battery. Submerge both leads about 2-3 inchs apart in a
glass of distilled water (roughly 8oz). Let this run for 8-24hrs (until the liquid reads
12-15ppm) and when you return the liquid will be a purple or silver hue and there may be
some precipitate on the bottom.
This liquid is called colloidal silver. It is nothing more or less than fine particles of silver
suspended in water so it is a completely natural solution and is safe to handle without any
special precautions. The silver inhibits female flowering hormones in cannabis and so the
result is that male flowering hormone dominates and male flowers are produced.
To use the silver, spray on a plant or branch every three days prior to switching the lights
to 12/12 and continue spraying until you see the first male flowers. Repeated applications
after the first flowers appear may result in more male flowers and therefore more pollen. As
the plant matures it will produce pollen that can be collected and used to pollinate any
female flower (including flowers on the same plant).
Silver Thiosulfate (STS)

Only mentioned for completeness. Silver Thiosulfate is more difficult to acquire and works
on the same principle as CS. Its application is similar to CS and achieves the same results.
Gibberellic Acid (GA3)

This is probably the most popular way to produce feminized seed. GA3 can be purchased
readily in powdered form, a quick search reveals numerous sources on ebay for as little as
$15. Simply add to water to reach 100ppm concentration and spray the plant daily for 10
days during flowering and male flowers will be produced.
42
Pests and Pest Control
Marijuana Cultivation/Pests and Pest

Control
Pests and Pest Control
As you continue growing, you will sooner or later face pests. Pests are able to destroy all of
the plants in your garden if they are in same room. Pests will find your indoor environment
to be ideal and full of food, without any natural enemies.
It is good to know what pests appear, where a crop they can live and what are the typical
symptoms. All the symptoms are not due to pests and can be caused nutrient maladjusted
nutrients.
A magnifying glass and daily or at least regular inspection can save your garden from ruin.
Often, pests are hiding on the underside of leaves. In order to get an accurate view of pests
and their effects on your plants a magnifier of at least 8x magnification power will be
required. The most important thing is to monitor your plants regularly.
For other plants fighting pests is easier but hemp does not respond well to chemical
pesticides and chemical poisons would often render the output to be unsafe to consume or
smoke. Biological pesticides are not toxic, so they can be used to remove pests. Neem oil is
a natural and effective insecticide, which is produced from Neem tree seeds by squeezing.
Pine soap solution is another natural pesticide, which is active against some pests.
Pesticides containing pyretine can be used safely (pyretrin is rapidly degradable organic
insecticide). Before using any off the shelf pesticide you should make sure that the its use is
recommended for fruits and vegetables. Any non-detergent soap can be mixed with water to
make a natural pesticide, often ground red pepper or chilli powder is added as well to deter
pests from returning. Soap based pesticides are effective against all soft bodied pests but
because they kill on contact they must be applied with a great deal of care and do not on
their own deter pests from returning. This is where the pepper additive comes in. If you
have an aphid infestation then you should also consider taking steps to prevent ants from
returning to your plants since it is the ants which farm the aphids.
[1]
Tetranychus urticae
Spidermites are mostly orange-toned less than 0.5 mm long, spider animals. These should
not occur if the humidity is above 50%. Vegetable mites are easy to identify because of their
webs, but often it is already too late. If your hemp leaves are changing dirty yellow, and are
starting to be falling, the plant may be infested with vegetable mites.
In order to prevent vegetable ticks its is best to examine plants a few days apart with a
magnifying glass. They caused damage in the form of small dots on the leaves, these dots
are caused by the mites sucking of plant juices from the underside of the leaves. Begin by
looking at leaf bottoms, usually, these very small spider animals thrive there. Eggs are
spherical white dots. If mites are many and they are able to weave web, they can be very
Marijuana Cultivation/ Pests and Pest Control 43
difficult to get rid of.

Vegetable mites thrive in a dry and warm environment, so the easiest of controlling is to
increase air moisture. Hang wet towels in the rear of your space or mist regularly with
water, especially below leafs. Keeping the temperature low with reduce their ability to
reproduce. Unfortunately, vegetable mites remain alive even in cold temperatures and will
resume activity when the temperature rises again.
If you find mites on any plant in your garden it may be best to remove it promptly to avoid
infecting the other plants in the garden. Apply insecticide thoroughly with careful attention
to the undersides of leaves. Raise humidity above 50 percent and only then return the plant
to the garden. Monitor the plant carefully for a few days. Often simply misting with water
and raising the ambient humidity is sufficient.
[2]
Collembola
[3]
Coccidae
[4]
Thysanoptera
References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Tetranychus_urticae
[2] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Collembola
[3] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Coccidae
[4] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Thysanoptera
44
Common Plant Problems
Marijuana Cultivation/Common Plant

Problems
Common Plant Problems
The problems that plague growers are myriad so it is difficult to say what the best approach
is to this topic. Perhaps the best approach is to make this guide practical for
troubleshooting purposes. To this end. You should first find the part of the plant or type of
plant material that is showing a symptom that makes you think there is a problem. From
there, find the listed symptom that best describes what you are seeing and you will
hopefully find the problem and suggested fixes. This section is intended for troubleshooting
and diagnosis. If you would like to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of the most
common problems then skim seed issues, root issues, ph and water related leaf symptoms,
stem issues, and problems with harvested marijuana.
Seed
Seeds are birth place of a new generation. A problem there will result in poor performance
throughout the grow. The ideal seed is a dark green, almost brown and may have stripes or
other markings, it is plump and firm. A slight pressure on the seed will not crush it. These
things can make the difference between a small spindly plant and a vigorous healthy plant.
A plump particularly ripe seed within a batch indicates improved fast growing genetics and
a stronger seed that is more likely to survive to maturity.
Brittle/White Seed
If a slight pressure with your fingertip crushes seeds the seeds are not viable. They are
immature. You should move along to other seeds, if you produced these seeds you need to
be sure to pollinate the plant early in flowering and to let the seeds grow until they are
starting to fall out naturally and are fully ripe and mature.
Green Seed
A green seed is simply immature. If the seed is firm and doesn't crush easily under a
fingertip then it might still be saved if you do not have a dark viable seed to replace it (only
use less than ideal seed if you can't avoid it). In order to save a green seed place it inside a
damp paper towel in a dark warm place and check every few hours. The color of the seed
will darken as it first ripens and it may eventually sprout. You should plant this seed very
close to the surface if it sprouts since it may not have the nutrient stores that a fully mature
seed would have. With the appropriate attention and care a green seed can achieve a plant
with the full potential of the genetics.
Marijuana Cultivation/ Common Plant Problems 45
Small Seed
Always choose the largest seeds you can but many plants simply do not produce large
seeds. Some strains produce small seed exclusively.
Roots
Root are... well the root of the plant. Water, nutrients, and hormone supplements will likely
be passed up from the roots into the plant proper. You need a strong, healthy, and plentiful
root system to be able to pass enough nutrients and to support the plant at its maximum
growth rate. Since the root structure isn't usually visible in addition to listing symptoms it
is worth pointing out what roots need so you won't have these problems in the first place.
Tight Packed Roots, Curling Around the Edge of Container

This symptom is often accompanied by less than optimum growth. Your roots simply don't
have enough room. Give them some more space by transplanting to a larger container
disturbing the root ball as little as possible. Many people massage the bottom and sides of
the root ball very gently just enough to untangle the tips but not so much as to actually
break the root ball. If when transplanting you see that the roots did not take advantage of
the container's horizontal space it means you didn't transplant often enough early on. You
should transplant from smaller to larger container. For example, one hempy grow the ideal
transplant path involved starting the clone in a small rockwool cube. When root tips were
visible this was transplanted to a 16oz plastic cup. After a couple weeks this was
transplanted to a half filled 2.5gal hempy bucket. A few days before flowering this was
transplanted for the last time by lifting out of the bucket and filling halfway and then
setting the complete root ball on top of the new grow medium so the roots could fill the
entire bucket.
Sparse or Insubstantial Roots

This depends on your stage of growth. But generally speaking roots will grow well in a
medium with a carefully maintained PH and lots of oxygen. This can be an early sign that
you need more oxygenation. Perhaps this is caused by poor drainage in the soil (water pulls
air into the pot from the top as it drains down the bottom) or perhaps you should add an air
stone to your reservoir in a hydroponic system. Note that oxygen and not air is needed, it is
possible to grow with your roots submersed in well oxygenated water all the time.
Slimy, Smelly Roots

Lack of oxygen has caused a condition known as root rot in which your roots have begun to
rot. You can try to save this plant but you should remember that the impact on upon the
results of your grow are going to be substantial and you should mentally chock it up as a
learning experience at this stage. This will be accompanied by symptoms in the plant
vegetable material as well.
In order to try to save the plant you should remove the plant from its container and remove
all traces of rotted material from the roots the smell is very strong and will be
unmistakable. Rinse the roots thoroughly with clean water and let them dry out. Replace
your medium with fresh sterile medium and disinfect your container or use a new one.
When the roots are dry transplant to the clean medium and clean container. Most
importantly, you need to solve whatever is causing the root rot. If you need an airstone or
an additional airstone then add one, remix your soil/medium for better drainage, or make
your flood and drain cycles less frequent.
Stems
Your stems are the trunks of your plant, or your leaf, or your flower. Each and every stem
on the plant is important and is essential to the part it connects functioning correctly.
People purchasing marijuana often complain about stems in ignorance. Stems contain
within them a layer that transports nutrients and another soft pulp that transports water.
Because of this stems are almost entirely composed of water weight and weight almost
nothing when dried. For the best end result from your harvest, both in potency and quantity
you will want nice strong thick stems.
Leaning Branches
If your branches are leaning down under the weight of your flowers the best thing you can
do is tie up the branches. This can be partially avoided by installing a circulating fan in an
indoor grow room to simulating the wind, the movement will cause your stems to
strengthen.
Thin, Spindly Stalks

The most common cause of this symptom is lack of light. If plants are not getting enough
light they will stretch to the light source so you probably need a bigger light and/or need to
move it closer to the plants. Early on this can be partly solved by burying the plant more
deeply when transplanting. Roots will eventually grow out of the newly submerged stem.
You can also help with this condition by installing a circulating fan, the fan will simulate
wind and the movement will strengthen stems. A weak root system may also contribute to
this problem.
Broken Stem
This was probably caused by you trying to the bend the plant to your will (literally). Its
okay, don't panic the plant will probably be fine. Just tape the stem back together and
support it by tying to a stake if needed to take the pressure off the break while this heals.
The plant will heal itself and will have a knot where the break was located. You should
allow your plant time to recover before stressing the location.
Leaves
The leaves of the plant are its solar panels and its lungs. Through its leaves the plant will
absorb the power of the sun and utilize it in the process of photosynthesis. The leaves are
your plant are usually the first to show signs that something is wrong. With a few
exceptions damage to the leaf material will not recover after the problem is remedied and
you should look to the new growth for signs the problem is resolved and the overall
condition of the plant should show improvement. You will not find an exhaustive list of
nutrient deficiencies here only the most common and easily identified if you need advanced
deficiency identification you should try asking experienced growers either in person or via
the Internet, if posting via the Internet they will need pictures to diagnose the plant with
any degree of accuracy.
A common mistake is mistake a nutrient deficiency with a PH imbalance. A PH imbalance
will cause your roots to be unable to take up nutrients and can even damage the roots.
Anytime you see a possible nutrient imbalance such as yellowing, necrosis, or other signs of
plant damage you should double check your PH before adjusting nutrients.
Drooping Leaves
The most common causes of this symptom are over and under watering. If you are using a
soil grow are you allowing the soil surface to get completely dry before watering again? You
should be. If in a hydroponic grow you need to take measures to get oxygen to your roots.
Otherwise, water your plant you probably got scared by all the sites telling you
over-watering is the most common beginner mistake (which is true). In a soil grow you will
want to fully saturate the pot with water when you water and then let the top inch or two of
the soil dry out before drowning her again. As an added note, if you are using soil and it
never seems to dry out then you may have purchased a bag of topsoil and not potting soil.
This soil will not drain at all. You need a proper soil mix.
Broad Leaves with Edges Curled Down

This is a sign of excessive humidity. This usually won't harm the plant but less than optimal
conditions result in a less than optimal growth and harvest. The width of the leaf is also
determined by genetics so broad leaves alone are not a sure indicator of whether your
environment is too humid.
Narrow Leaves with Edges Curled Up

This is a sign of low humidity. Like excess humidity this will not harm the plant but less
than optimal conditions result in a less than optimal growth. Genetics again affect leaf
broadness as well.
Yellowing of the Leaves (from the bottom of the plant upward)

This can be a sign of nitrogen deficiency or of over fertilization. If accompanied early by
browning and necrosis of the leaf tips then you may be over fertilizing. Adding extra
fertilizer when you are already over-fertilizing will kill a plant at any stage of growth so it is
safer to flush the plant (if using a pot use three times as much water as your container size)
with clean water to remove the excess nutrients. If this helps then excess nutrients are the
problem. This could be because you are feeding the plant too much or if later in the growth
cycle could be caused by excess nutrient salts building up in the soil. If this does not help
then you may need to add more N to your fertilizer mix. These symptoms can also be
caused by a PH imbalance.
It is worth mentioning that this symptom will also be seen late in flowering on many strains
and is perfectly natural as the plant draws in nutrients from the leaves toward the end of its
life. Some growers prefer to give extra nitrogen to slow or prevent this and others like to let
nature take its course. Either will produce fine output.
Brown/Purple Spots and/or Dark Green Leaves on Stunted Plant

This is generally a sign of phosphorus deficiency. You may need to add more phosphorus to
your water or you might have a PH imbalance.
Brown/Tan/Pale Spots Throughout Leaves

You may have a phosphorus deficiency or you may have contracted a pest. Refer to the
section on pests for more information on detecting and removing a pest infestation.
Yellowing Between Leaf Veins

This is likely a potassium deficiency. Add to your water or correct a PH balance. Potassium
can also be locked out by salt buildup so if your PH is correct you may try a flush before
adjusting nutrients.
Older Leaves Yellow From the Center Outward, Leaf tips brown progressing inward,
pale new growth
Look to trace element deficiency for these problems. Magnesium and Calcium are likely
culprits. You can add a bit of dolomite lime to your water (1 tsp/gallon) or add a supplement
such as cal-mag, or cal-max, or similar. As always with nute deficiency your problem may
actually be a PH imbalance.
Leaves Turn Pale Yellow or White with Green Veins

This is a sign of iron deficiency. Add more trace nutrients or chelated iron. As always, PH
imbalance could also be the culprit.
Flowers (while on growing plant)

It goes without saying that flowers are what it is all about. They are the only part of the
plant that contains high enough concentrations of psychoactive compounds to be used
without additional processing after drying. Flowers are also critical to seed production.
White Pistils Turn Purple/Red/Orange

This is not a problem and means you have done something right. It is common for pistils to
change color if they are not pollinated.
Flowers are Stunted with Hard Bumps between Pistils

Your plant is likely pollinated. The bumps are seeds.
Internode Spacing is Wide and Buds are airy

This is probably caused by a wide variation between your daytime and nighttime
temperature. If using lights indoor you can do a number of things to keep temperature
under control. The simplest adjustment is to make sure your lights run at night when it is
coolest and are off during the day.
White Fluffy or Powdery Coating on Buds

Don't mistake this with the sparkling trichomes crystals that will coat the flowers and the
surrounding leaves in a fairly uniform manner. This is either mold or it looks whispy and
weblike may be a pest. Either way it must be removed from your garden. If a pest refer to
pest section but if its powdery mold remove it from your garden immediately. Do NOT
smoke or eat moldy bud you could get sick or even die.
Buds Are Small

The buds are the cumulation of the entire grow and their size will reflect literally
everything else. For big buds you need healthy roots to deliver lots of nutrients. You need to
deliver proper nutrient levels. You need to supplement CO2 during flowering and have
proper ventilization when not supplementing. You need to control temperatures. And you
need to prune your plants properly, removing smaller growth with little potential so that
your plants may concentrate on the main bud or buds.
Buds Aren't Sticky/Resinous

The flowers simply aren't ready yet. Let them go a little longer. An early finishing strain will
take a full eight weeks of flowering and some strains will take twelve weeks. Give your
plants the time they need to mature.
Harvested Flowers
Many people mistakenly believe that they are done when they harvest their flowers but in
many ways the challenge is only started. Now you have a big pile of potentially usable bud
and must treat and tend it to completion with out problems.
Crispy Crumbly Buds

You simply let your bud dry too much and probably too fast.
Pliable Stems with Dry Bud

There is likely more moisture on the inside. You would depending on just how dry to the
bud itself is you could move on to the curing stage using a slow cure draw the moisture out
from the center of the plant or let it dry longer before curing.
Powdery or Whispy Tendrils in Flowers

This is mold/mildew. You need to let your buds get more air. Do not try to save or smoke
moldy bud. You could die.
Buds Smell and Taste Like Hay/Lawn

Characteristic of immature bud. This can often be partially solved with a long slow cure.
Buds Burn down to a Hard Black Ash

Too much phosphorus left in the plant during flowering. A slow dry and long cure will help.
Next time do a proper flush before harvest.
Harsh Smoke
Proper slow drying and curing will give you a smooth smoke. Refer to the section covering
this.
Article Sources and Contributors 51
Article Sources and Contributors

Marijuana Cultivation Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1506426 Contributors: Adrignola, Panic2k4, Shaitand, Sub, Vkem
Marijuana Cultivation/ Introduction Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1531315 Contributors: Shaitand, Vkem
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Of Myths and Magic Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1508383 Contributors: Shaitand,
Vkem
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Parts of the Plant Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1493016 Contributors: Shaitand,
Vkem
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Inside vs Outside Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1567668 Contributors: Adrignola,

Shaitand
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Dirt vs Hydroponic Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1567666 Contributors: Adrignola,

Shaitand
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Organic vs Inorganic Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1567674 Contributors: Adrignola,

Shaitand, 1 anonymous edits
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Nutrient Selection and Maintenance Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1567673

Contributors: Adrignola, Shaitand
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Lighting Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1567671 Contributors: Adrignola, Shaitand
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Ventilation and Odor Control Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1567676 Contributors:
Adrignola
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Temperature Control Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1567675 Contributors: Adrignola,

Shaitand
Marijuana Cultivation/ Fundamentals/ Grow Mediums Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1567667 Contributors: Adrignola,

Shaitand
Marijuana Cultivation/ Seedlings Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1493000 Contributors: Shaitand, Vkem
Marijuana Cultivation/ Vegetative Growth Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1493544 Contributors: Shaitand, Vkem, 1 anonymous
edits
Marijuana Cultivation/ Cloning Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1494673 Contributors: Shaitand, Vkem
Marijuana Cultivation/ Sexing Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1520137 Contributors: Shaitand, Vkem, 1 anonymous edits
Marijuana Cultivation/ Flowering Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1496195 Contributors: Shaitand, Vkem
Marijuana Cultivation/ Harvesting Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1498370 Contributors: Shaitand, Vkem
Marijuana Cultivation/ Curing Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1569875 Contributors: Shaitand, Vkem, 2 anonymous edits
Marijuana Cultivation/ Producing Seeds Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1499383 Contributors: Shaitand, Vkem
Marijuana Cultivation/ Pests and Pest Control Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1500910 Contributors: Shaitand, Vkem
Marijuana Cultivation/ Common Plant Problems Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?oldid=1508439 Contributors: Shaitand, Vkem
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 52
Image Sources, Licenses and

Contributors
Image:Illustration Cannabis sativa0.jpg Source: http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?title=File:Illustration_Cannabis_sativa0.jpg License: Public
Domain Contributors: Augiasstallputzer
License 53
License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
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Marijuana Cultivation

Large Shade Leaves

Ebb and Flow

Deep Water Culture

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)

Continuous Drip System

Consideration and Pitfalls

PH Ideals and Adjustment

High Pressure Sodium

Negative Ion Generation

Odor Neutralizers and Masking Agents

Active Carbon Filtration

Intake and Exhaust

Vinegar and Baking Soda

Stored CO2 Cannisters

Basic Types of Plant

From Sprout to Seedling

Training and Trimming

Two Liter Bottle Method

Planting the Cuttings

Identifying the Male

Identifying the Female

Cloning for Sex

Lighting and Nutrient Changes

Growth and Rough Timeline

Dry Ice Drying

Microwave and Oven

Food Dehydrator Drying

To Feminise or not to Feminise

Selecting Suitable Parents

Collecting and Storing Pollen

Making Feminised Seed

Colloidal Silver (CS)

Silver Thiosulfate (STS)

Gibberellic Acid (GA3)

Pests and Pest Control

Marijuana Cultivation/Pests and Pest

difficult to get rid of.

Common Plant Problems

Marijuana Cultivation/Common Plant

Tight Packed Roots, Curling Around the Edge of Container

Sparse or Insubstantial Roots

Slimy, Smelly Roots

your flood and drain cycles less frequent.

Thin, Spindly Stalks

Broad Leaves with Edges Curled Down

Narrow Leaves with Edges Curled Up

Yellowing of the Leaves (from the bottom of the plant upward)

Brown/Purple Spots and/or Dark Green Leaves on Stunted Plant

Brown/Tan/Pale Spots Throughout Leaves

Yellowing Between Leaf Veins

Leaves Turn Pale Yellow or White with Green Veins

Flowers (while on growing plant)

White Pistils Turn Purple/Red/Orange

Flowers are Stunted with Hard Bumps between Pistils

Internode Spacing is Wide and Buds are airy

White Fluffy or Powdery Coating on Buds

Buds Are Small

Buds Aren't Sticky/Resinous

Crispy Crumbly Buds

Pliable Stems with Dry Bud

Powdery or Whispy Tendrils in Flowers